The Daily Pest | Viking’s Blog On Pest Control

IS YOUR HOME PROTECTED FROM TERMITE DAMAGE?

Written by Viking Pest Control | March 13, 2018

When homeowners in Summit, New Providence, Westfield, and Cranford find termite damage, it can be horrifying. These locations all deal with subterranean termites, which are the most destructive kind of termite in the United States. Let’s take a look at these termites and consider the scope of the problem.

Subterranean termites come up from the ground to destroy a home. When they do, they can enter into any wood that touches the soil and eat their way deep into support timbers and the studs in load-bearing walls. Once inside a home, they feed for years. And, since they feed inside the wood, homeowners have no idea that their equity is in danger.

How to Stop Termites From Damaging Your Home

The secret to stopping subterranean termites is to use their own behaviors against them.

  • Since subterranean termites come up from the ground, bait stations and Termidor perimeter treatments both work well to stop them. Both of these treatment options are put into the ground where they can be most effective.
  • When subterranean termite workers feed on wood, they carry it inside their bodies and share it with other termites in their colony through a process call trophallaxis. Baits and Termidor termiticides both use this characteristic against those workers. When worker termites share the food, they also share the active ingredient that eliminates them. And, since these active ingredients are slow-acting, they can work their way all the way to the queen. When the queen dies, the colony dies with her.
  • When subterranean termites find food, they recruit other worker termites to come and feed. This recruitment ensures that feeding stakes will easily alert pest control technicians to a termite threat. 

Can You Hear Termites?

Subterranean termites work so quietly, you’re not likely to hear them. Ever. Baits are the perfect way to shine a spotlight on these silent destroyers and give early warning of potential termite damage, and liquid Termidor barriers are like putting a forcefield around your home–a forcefield that actively works to eliminate colonies as well as worker termites.

If you live in Summit, New Providence, Westfield, Cranford, or somewhere else in Union County, contact the termite experts at Viking Pest Control for proactive termite control and colony elimination you can trust. We look forward to helping you protect your greatest investment, give us a call today!

Call Viking at 800-618-2847 to learn more about our termite control and extermination services, or get a fast, free quote online today!